Following rain damage, around 100 prisoners escape from a Nigerian prison

According to a spokesman for the prison service, at least 118 prisoners broke out of the prison after torrential rains on Wednesday night damaged the building in Suleja, close to the capital of Nigeria.

Spokesman Adamu Duza said in a statement on Thursday that the several-hour-long downpour destroyed the perimeter wall and adjacent structures of the medium-security jail.

With the assistance of other security agencies, service agents have managed to apprehend ten of the fugitives thus far in their pursuit.

“We are in hot chase to recapture the rest,” Duza stated.

He gave the populace the assurance that the police were in control of the matter.

“The public is further enjoined to look out for the fleeing inmates and report any suspicious movement to the nearest security agency,” he stated.

Duza did not provide information about the identities or affiliations of the escaped detainees, although Suleja jail has previously housed members of the Islamist rebel group Boko Haram.

In Nigeria, where conditions for escape are favorable due to overcrowding, underfunding, and inadequate security measures, prison breakouts have grown to be a significant security concern.

Due to poor infrastructure and terrorist attacks, thousands of prisoners have escaped in recent years. One such incident occurred in July 2022 when the Islamic State attacked a high-security prison in the capital Abuja, freeing some 440 prisoners.

“The Service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era, and that they are old and weak,” Duza stated.

The construction of six 3,000-capacity facilities and the renovation of existing ones are among the “frantic efforts” the service is making to upgrade its jails, he continued.